Higurashi: A Bloodstained Friendship
by megavash1027
Summary: When Rena asks Keiichi out on a date, his life in the village seems perfect. too bad it can't last. Better summary inside. Keiichi X Rena. rated for violence. No lemons in all likelihood.
1. Chapter 1

**Higurashi: a bloodstained friendship**

**Author's notes: **This is my second Fan fiction, and my first to be based on Higurashi. Please don't hate me too much. I hope to do at least some justice to my favorite horror anime. I am not sure how long this will be or where it will lead, but it is starting to develop as I go. NOTE: the romance between Rena and Keiichi will NOT take center stage, with the exception of this chapter and a few others. Nothing against the people who love shipping, there just seems to be too many fics about a pairing with no other plot at all. This is not what fiction is, and it isn't how I write. *Outside of my lemons, of course.*

Summary: It hasn't been long since Keiichi Maebara, 15 years old, moved out of Tokyo and into the tiny mountain village of Hinamizawa. It is a rural life, but it seems to fit him. He has many friends, is a member of the Game club in school, and even has a girlfriend, Rena Ryugu. It all seems perfect until he hears about the mysterious deaths that keep happening every year. When it becomes possible that his friends are responsible, can Keiichi and Rena escape becoming the next victims? Disclaimer: I do not own Higurashi no naku koro ni.

The morning was cool and clear in the quiet mountain village of Hinamizawa, and Keiichi Maebara was just beginning to stir in his bed. The air was still and if he sat very still and listened, he could hear the songbirds singing happily outside his window. It was early June and spring was in full swing. The clean, pure air filled Keiichi's lungs, and got him out of bed. He went down the stairs t the breakfast table and ate his food before going out the door and walking to school. Even though he had only lived here one month, Keiichi already preferred the tiny mountain village to the crowded metropolis of Tokyo, where he used to live. The unpaved dirt road already felt soft under his feet.

The village was small, tiny in fact, and isolated from any modern luxury. For a long time, Keiichi thought he would hate it here. Nothing could have been further from the truth. In just one short month, Keiichi had fallen in love with both the village and the villagers. There was, however, one particularly good thing about the village did stand out, and she was waiting for him at the corner he was approaching right now. Her name was Rena Ryugu, and she always waited up to walk to school with him. He hadn't known her for very long, but he had already gotten to like the strange girl. It was funny to think of just how different she was from the friends he had back in Tokyo. At least, back when he'd had friends at all.

"Keiichi-Kun! Good morning," She shouted, waving to him excitedly. "Are you having a good day? Are you?"

Keiichi smiles as he gets closer. "Hey Rena. Are you ever _not_ early for school? You do know there's no crime against sleeping in?"

She was still smiling when he got to her, just like she always was. "Rena can't sleep in, she can't. I don't want to make you wait for me."

Keiichi smirks and let out a laugh. "Don't act like it's such a given that I'd wait." He laughed a bit when she started to tear up. He always felt bad at this part. "Rena, you should no by now that I'm joking. Now let's hurry up before Mion starts to complain." He didn't need to look to know she was blushing. He burst into a run and shouted back a dare for her to keep up.

They ran happily, neck and neck down the Hinamizawa streets, shouting all the way. They began to slow as they approached an older girl with green hair and a wide grin.

"Hey lovebirds, you having fun disturbing the peace. Funny, you race all the way here and your still late."

"Shut up, Mion, you're the one whose late most every day." Keiichi glared at his antagonistic best friend. Mion was a year older than he was, and liked to paradfe around like she was superior. It never failed to annoy him.

"Woah, there, Kei-Chan. Is that anyway to talk to an upperclassmen? You should have more respect for your elders."

"Old hag!"

"Lay-about!"

The shouting match lasted for a few minutes, and after a while, an annoyed Rena punched them each in the head to shut them up. "There now." Rena said. " Now lets go. We don't want to be late, do we? Do we?" Because they indeed did not want to be late, they continued on their way, walking and chatting casually.

Mion was another reason Keiichi liked Hinamizawa so much. She was the exact opposite of Rena, the sweet quite one. Mion was loud, and sometimes obnoxious. Keiichi supposed that came with being the next head of the Sonozaki family, which effectively ran Hinamizawa and the surrounding area. She was the boss lady, and liked the feeling. More importantly than all that, she was Keiichi's best friend.

There was only one school in Hinamizawa, and all the grades learn together. Even then, there were maybe fifteen students. Keiichi mused inside his head how this would never happen in Tokyo, which was his undoing. He was not paying attention to the door he was opening.

In a matter of seconds, Rena had ran in front of his and pushed him back, instantly being covered in chalk from a falling eraser meant for Keiichi. "Keiichi-Kun should be more careful. You don't want to fall into her traps, her traps."

Keiichi was taken aback for a second, and then took on a serious expression. "Thank you, Rena. Your sacrifice will not be in vain. I'm ready for you, Satoko!" Keiichi stepped into the room, and fell forward on a trip wire, falling directly onto an ink stone. Standing over his ink strewn form was a young girl with short blonde hair.

"What exactly are you playing at, Keiichi-San?" Satoko asked with a smile on her face. "You can't possibly believe I did this!" Her vice dripped with sarcasm.

Keiichi grabbed the younger girl by the collar and gave her a menacing look. "Brats like you deserve a forehead flick." The girl cowered as he raised his hand, but a sweet voice stilled his hand.

"Keiichi-Sama should be nicer. Satoko was just saying hello, yes she was." The girl was Rika Furude, an adorable blue haired child and Satoko's best friend. Upon hearing her request, Keiichi immediately let go of the blonde haired little troublemaker. These two rounded out the group, and together they were the only club in school, the game club. Keiichi was the newest member, but already loving it. It was much more fun then sitting at home after school.

The day went by as normal, with Chie-Sensei running around teaching the younger children and Keiichi tutoring Rena and Mion. They weren't the fastest to catch on, but he could be patient for them. At least most of the time. It did annoy him to teach Mion, who was a year older, but that couldn't be helped. After class, but before club started, Rena walked up to him, her normal blush more prevalent than usual.

"Uuum, Keiichi…Kun, I was wondering if you, if you…" She was stuttering and blushing even more than before.

"Go ahead and say it, Rena. I don't bite." He was used to her shyness, though he admitted this was a bit excessive. Still, it reminded him just how cute she could be. "Whatever it is, I won't be upset. I promise."

"Well, if you're sure. Um Keiichi-kun, I was wondering if you wanted to…" Her cheeks were positively scarlet by now. "Maybe go out with me tomorrow, tomorrow." By this time she looked like she may faint. "I, I just thought you may like a tour of the village?"

Keiichi wasn't sure why this surprised him as much as it did. He always got the feeling that Rena may have liked him, but this caught him off guard. All he could say was "Yes, of course," before his tongue got too heavy to talk with. His life in Hinamizawa was turning out to be amazing. He could hardly believe it. How unfortunate that it couldn't go on forever.


	2. Chapter 2

`**Chapter 2**

**Author's Notes: **Chapter two and looking good. Not sure how often I'm going to update this one, what with Nothing to Fear half way done, but it will be receiving my attentions. Higurashi is a great series, and I love it with all my heart. Please read and rate. Disclaimer: I do not own Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni.

His forehead was sweating as Keiichi held the cards in his hands, feeling like a caged animal. His eyes scanned the room, meeting with insatiable bloodlust from each and every person assembled. He couldn't allow himself to be intimidated. He couldn't show fragility or uncertainty, or they would swarm him like hungry sharks. He lifted his eyes to those of the green haired girl directly across from him. She was unflinching, wearing a wide, superior sort of grin. "What's the matter, Kei-Chan," She taunted. "Are you too chicken to challenge this old man?"

Keiichi steeled his nerves and put on his own cocky grin. "Not on your life Mion," he shouted, his voice filled with defiance. " Your brilliant strategy has one fatal flaw, and I am about to exploit it, so pay attention while I send you straight to hell!"

Mion looked cool as ice, her grin firm on her face. "Big talk for such a little whimp. Let's see you back it up!" Mion held her last card close to her chest, and he face was all confidence.

"Are you ready for defeat, Mion? Well Good! Do you have any twos?" He was confident that he had the brash and undefeated Mion cornered this time. Her trick was clever, but she underestimated his abilities. Memorizing her marked cards had been child's play.

Mion's smile grew menacing now. "Oh, so sorry Kei-Chan. Go fish." Keiichi felt himself plummeting into the abyss of failure. "There goes your grand plan, Kei-Chan. The game is almost over, and you have the most cards. My turn now. Watch as your world comes tumbling down. Rena, would that card happen to be a five?"

Rena gave Keiichi an apologetic smile. "Sorry Keiichi-Kun, but it looks like you're the last one in." Even her friendly, gentle voice filled him with terror. He knew what was coming.

Mion gave a menacing laugh. " You are today's loser, Kei-Chan. The rules say the loser has to play the Penalty Game. Rika, Fetch the Wheel of Shame!"

Rika fetched it quickly, and Keiichi stepped up to face his fate. He eyed the wheel with horror in his heart, and gave it a mighty spin. When it landed, Mion let out a diabolical laugh, and Satoko grabbed for his legs. Keiichi Struggled but it was no use. The maniacal Mion stood over him, holding her implement of torture before him.

Later that day, he walked home, his face and clothing bearing the mark of Mion's sharpie. He had spun the Graffiti Penalty, so each member had put their mark on him. On his forehead, Mion had emblazoned a single work: Baka. He sported a black eye circle from Rika, and a taunting "Na, Na" from Satoko. Rena's mark was on his arm. He walked home, eager to wipe it away. His only solace was that Mion had gone on ahead today. Well, that, and that Rena had stayed with him.

Rena was smiling and chatting merrily, happier than Keiichi had ever seen her. He was happy too, and more than a little nervous. He had never been on a date with a girl, but Rena was certainly a nice place to start. He just hoped he didn't mess it up.

"Don't be too mad Keiichi-Kun. Rena's sure it will come out, come out." She was walking close beside him, but that was normal. He considered holding her hand, but was to afraid to try. Instead he promised himself to do it tomorrow.

"Oh this? I'm way over it." It was true. He never stayed mad about penalties for long. It was all in good fun after all. " And Rena? Thank you for showing me around tomorrow. You're a great friend."

"Oh. Just a friend…" Her face fell for just a moment. Strike one Keiichi. He had to think of something to say that would smooth it over. Inevitably, he panicked.

"That's not what I-I mean it's just one date- I mean, I just don't know yet. I like you, I do, but…" So stupid! He should have kept his mouth shut. Or just manned up and called her what she was. A girlfriend. Was she? They hadn't even been on a date yet. Then good old Rena smiled, and his worries faded away.

"It's okay, Keiichi-Kun, Rena understands. Don't worry so much about it. Like I always say, what happens, happens, and you can't change it. Wait and see, wait and see." At that, she reached out with a shaky hand, and grabbed his. Hand in hand, they continued to walk. Neither tried to pull away.

"You know, Rena, I'm really starting to love this place. I have Mion, Satoko, Rika, and you, all in just a few weeks. This place is like some kind of paradise. And I meant that thank you from before. I still can't find my way around real well. I can only get to the center of town and the school from home. You're doing me a big favor."

"Keiichi-Kun is welcome! Rena is always happy to help, to help! And Rena loves it here too. Don't worry about being new. Rena moved here just a year before you did." That was news to Keiichi. He always figured Rena for the type of girl who had grown up in Hinamizawa, like Mion, Rika, and Satoko. He would never guess that she had ever lived in Tokyo. It was just too incompatible with her free spirited nature.

"Really? I never would have guessed! So where did you live before you came here?" Once he asked the question, he instantly wished he hadn't. Rena had lost all signs of happiness. She was suddenly blank, like all emotion had left her.

"I lived in Tokyo." The words hung lifelessly in the air. The whole world seemed quiet. Eerily Quiet. The wind had stopped, and he couldn't hear any birds. He couldn't seem to remember how to breathe. Was this the same Rena? He couldn't see how it could be someone else. After a moment he realized that they had stopped moving. He tried to speak, to tell her that it was getting late, and that they had to get home. His tongue refused to move. She turned to face him, and her eyes were blank, and lifeless. "You should be careful, Keiichi-kun. I couldn't stand it if you were to get hurt." Keiichi felt as though his heart might stop. Just then, the life returned to her, and she smiled. All of his fear faded away, or at least became hidden in the back of his mind.

Rena began to walk forward, and he followed. "Come on, Keiichi-Kun! Its' getting late, getting late. We have to go home."

Keiichi was glad to have Rena back, and quickly put his mind at easy. His only hope was that she was ok. He wanted to keep her happy. As they walked home, he heard the cicadas begin to cry.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Author's Notes:** This is the third chapter of my second fic, and I feel that I am getting the hang of this. The stories are getting written, and the quality is staying good. I hope you all enjoy my work, and that I can keep it up. This chapter will have a bit of focus on romance, so expect some…_surprises_ to come up and balance things out. This is, after all, Higurashi. Note that the solution of this fic will likely differ from that given in the original work. Just like the original Higurashi, there is no easy answer. Please enjoy. Read and rate if you like it. Disclaimer: I do not own Higurashi.

That night, sleep was nothing but wishful thinking. With Rena out of sight, his thoughts returned to her eerie change that afternoon. The funny thing was that he wasn't afraid in the least. He was worried about her. The thoughts that kept him awake were that something was wrong, or that she was in trouble. He wanted to help her. He had to help her. There was nothing else for it. He made a vow then and there. He would protect Rena Ryugu with everything he had. Having made his resolution, he found sleep, if only for a few hours. He needed any rest her could get to prepare for tomorrow.

Despite his late night, the excitement woke Keiichi up early in the morning. Today was the day. He tried to get back to sleep. After all, sleeping in was what the weekend was for. No reason to be up at the crack of dawn when you had no school. The thought struck him just then. Rena was always up early, even on weekends. Maybe he should head out and try to find her. At least that way he'd have more time to spend with her. He made up his mind and rolled out of his futon, stretching tiredly.

Keiichi mad a bowl of rice and shouted to his mom that he was going out, and within minutes he was walking through the predawn gloom to where Rena had he usually met. He couldn't quite make out whether or not she was there. He kept walking towards the stop, but soon his eyes were caught by something else. It was the sunrise, and when he caught a glimpse, he realized at that instant that this was his first time seeing it. It painted the sky in reds, oranges and purples, and bathed the land in newborn light. He wasn't sure how long he stared at it, but it must have been quite a while.

Suddenly, a hand came down on his shoulder. He virtually jumped out of his skin, but soon realized that it was just Rena. She was in a pretty white dress and wore her favorite smile. Keiichi quickly decided that the sunset was the second most beautiful thing in Hinamizawa. "Hello Keiichi-kun! You found Rena's favorite thing in the village!" So early in the day, and already she was so excited. He couldn't wait for the rest of the day.

Keiichi tried to play cool. " Yeah, its pretty, I guess." He knew she could see through him by the smile of his face. He didn't try to hide it. The day was shaping up nicely, and he couldn't wait to see what else happened next.

"Well, Rena thinks it's beautiful! And thank you for waiting for me! I knew you would, you would!" She reached out and grabbed his hand without warning, and in an instant he was being dragged along the main road. He supposed it was only natural. Rena was being her normal, hyper self. He was relieved by that. "Hurry up, Keiichi-kun! We have a lot to see today, today!"

She was right about that. In just a few hours, Keiichi had been to most everywhere in the town. He had seen the road that lead to Okinomiya, the nearest large town, and he had seen the walking paths through the nearby woods. He saw the town square, where he heard a festival would be held in just a week, and by noon he had come to the Furude Shrine, where Rika and Satoko lived. He had to agree when Rena said that the view from here was beautiful. The decided to stop here for a bit, and Keiichi sat down, happy to give his legs a rest.

"So are you having fun, Keiichi kun?" she asked while unpacking a pair of bento boxes she had made. " I made lunch for us, for us. I hope you like it." She took a tablecloth out of the bag she'd been carrying, and laid it out between them.

To say he'd enjoyed himself was an understatement. He'd had a blast all day. "Of course I'm having fun. With you here, how could I not? And your food is always delicious. I can't wait to try it." With that he dug in to the picnic. It was perfectly cooked, like Rena always made. "Where did you learn to cook like this, anyway."

"Rena taught herself. I'm glad you like it Keiichi. I'm glad you came with me today Keiichi-kun. I'm always happy when you're around." Her smile, and her words, are enough to make him blush. This was quite the turn around for them.

"Umm, what makes you say that. I'm not that great." Now he knew how Rena felt all the time. He cold feel the heat in his face. " I mean, I'm always making fun of you, and I always make you wait for me."

"You waited for me today, and I know you're just having fun. And why why are you blushing, Keiichi-kun? Did I say something wrong?" She immediately becomes self-conscious.

"Not not at all. I'm just… Well, I've never been on a date before." As soon as he'd said it, his cheeks became even redder. " I guess I'm just nervous I guess." He looks directly into his lap, too embarrassed to look up at her.

"Well I still had fun, Keiichi-kun, and I hope you did too." She sounded very matter of fact, for a moment, but then seems to lose her nerve. "In…in fact, I had a question for you."

"What's that, Rena? Ask away. I told you before I wouldn't laugh at you." He had an idea where this was going."

"Well, the cotton drifting festival is coming up, and A few club members can't go this year. Rena wants to go, but not alone. I was wondering if maybe you could take me. Like another day. Maybe as my…" she trailed off, but Keiichi could fill in the blanks.

"Of course I'll take you, Rena. I would be happy to. And as for the other part, Of course I'll be your boyfriend." Rena seems to melt for a moment, but the lets out an excited squeal and jumps up to hug him. For the first time in his life, Keiichi Maebara has a girlfriend. It was too bad that it couldn't last.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Author's Notes: **Hello again, everyone, and welcome to the new chapter. I hope you all like this so far. So everyone knows, this is probably the last chapter where Keiichi and Rena's relationship will be at the forefront. From here on in it takes a back seat.. I hope that doesn't detract from the fic too much for all of you shippers. Please read and review if you like it. Disclaimer: I do not own Higurashi.

Keiichi and Rena both wore bright smiles as they made their way back to the town from the shrine. It was their first date, and it had been a tremendous success. Neither one could remember being this happy, and both of them had only one thing on their minds: The Cotton Drifting Festival. It was going to be perfect, they just knew it. But as for today, there was one more thing to see. Something Rena wasn't about to miss.

As they walked down the street, hand in hand, they chatted happily to one another. As they reached a certain split in the road, Rena looked up at him. "Hey Keiichi-kun, I have one more place to show you. Want to see?" She was brimming with the same excitement she had felt before. When Keiichi saw the happiness in her eyes, he stopped in his tracks.

"There's more? Then of course I'd like to see it." He wondered what else there might be to see, especially after they'd already seen so much. The village was turning out to be much bigger than he'd thought. It had taken up just about the whole day to see it all. It was getting into the afternoon now, but time remained for one more sight. "Lead the way, Rena!" And lead she did, dragging Keiichi down the street and saying loudly just how happy she was to show him around.

When Keiichi saw where Rena had taken them, his expression changed from excitement to bewildered confusion. The had arrived at the town dump, apparently built around an old abandoned dam. "What's so cool about this place, Rena? I mean, its just a bunch of junk." He was taken aback when she suddenly looked very offended.

"It's not junk! Well maybe Keiichi-kun thinks it, but to Rena this stuff is like buried treasure! I'm sure I'll find something just absolutely adorable in here!" Keiichi gave her an odd look, but he had to admit that as weird as Rena could be, it was kind of fun to be around. He straightened up a bit.

"Well if you like it, that's okay by me. Want me to help you look?" This seemed to cheer her up quiet a bit, and her bright smile returned. She gave keiichi a hug of thanks.

'Oh that's okay, Keiichi-kun. Rena can look around for herself. You wait here, and I'll be back before you know it!" And with that she ran out into the junk yard, squealing excitedly as she searched for her treasure. Keiichi only hoped she didn't hurt herself. there was plenty of stuff to trip on lying around. He took a seat on the ground and looked to the sky. Above him, the sunset was beginning to set the sky on fire with hues of gold and orange. He let his eyes close and allowed himself to revel drowsily in the beauty of the village.

Suddenly a blinding flash of light startled him, and he toppled over. He sat up and looked around frantically, rubbing the bump on hi head. Soon his vision came into focus, and he saw the shape of a man take form. He looked o be in his twenties, and was carrying a camera. He waved to Keiichi as he approached

"Hey you there! Are you okay?" He sounded jovial and care free. "I'm sorry if I startled you. You just looked so picturesque in the sunset." The man let out a laugh. " By the way, I'm Tometake, a freelance photographer."

Keiichi was annoyed by the intrusion, but didn't let himself get too angry. "Isn't it professional courtesy to ask before you take a snapshot?" He got to his feet and Rubbed his eyes. Tometake laughed nervously.

"I suppose so. I usually just take pictures of birds. Never really thought to ask their permission. Maybe I will from now on. So are you from the village?" The question caught Keiichi by surprise. Most everyone around here was from Hinamizawa, so it was odd to hear that this man was not.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm sorta new around here. So where are you from?" Tometake wasn't listening. He was looking out at the junkyard, where Rena was digging through scraps. The lack of attention was getting Keiichi annoyed.

"What do you suppose she's looking for out there?" Tometake wondered out loud. Keiichi decide to make a joke.

"Oh I don't know. Probably that dead body she chopped up a while back." Tometake went tense, and his absent-minded facade dropped away in an instant. He was quiet for a moment, and stone still. The transformation unsettled Keiich deeply, and reminded him of a similar transformation that had happened just yesterday.

"You shouldn't joke about such a heinous crime. I heard they never found one of the arms you know." His words made keiichi's blood freeze in his veins. A murder in Hinamizawa? Impossible. How could someone be killed in such a peaceful village. It couldn't be true. This man had to be lying. His face was straight, and his voice was even, but it couldn't be true. Keiichi stood frozen to the spot for several minutes, fighting to process what he'd just heard. Just then, Tometake's wide smile reemerged, and Keiichi half expected him to reveal that he'd been joking.

"Well, I guess you didn't know about it. No harm done, then. Well I have to go take some more pictures, so I'll see you some time later. Maybe at the cotton drifting festival." The transformation fell away just as quickly as it had appeared, just like Rena's had. The photographer walked away, leaving Keiichi dumbstruck where he stood. One thing had become clear: Hinamizawa was not at all what it seemed to be.


End file.
